June FelterThis 1998 charcoal and watercolor on paper drawing is by Bay Area artist June Felter (1919–2019). Felter was a distinguished Oakland artist integral to the Bay Area figurative movement. Her artistic education began at the Oakland Art Institute from 1937 to 1940, followed by further studies at the California College of Arts and Crafts (1954–1958) and the San Francisco Art Institute (1960–1961). Her works are featured in prestigious collections, including SFMOMA, the National Gallery of Art, and the Oakland Museum of California. Transitioning from a successful career as a commercial illustrator in the 1950s, she fully embraced painting, studying under Richard Diebenkorn and connecting with artists like Elmer Bischoff and Wayne Thiebaud. Felter helped establish the Tuesday Drawing Group in the 1960s, creating a collaborative space for artists to draw from live models and share their work for four decades. After the devastating 1991 Oakland Firestorm destroyed her home and hundreds of early artworks, Felter demonstrated resilience, creating a series that captured her experience of the event. For this reason, the collection held by Lost Art Salon covers primarily the years following the fire. These later decades of work include local landscapes, intimate and personal still lifes, figures, portraits and fully abstract compositions. She passed away in 2019, with a posthumous exhibition, "June Felter: Her Life & Art," at the 871 Gallery in SF showcasing her six-decade career. 1998 Charcoal & Watercolor on Paper 20"x10.75" unframed Estate stamped and dated at the bottom. Excellent vintage condition.
